Travel Activities for Kids

The holidays are a special time for visiting family and friends whom you may not be able to see during other times of the year. Families may travel hundreds or thousands of miles to share the warmth, love and friendship of the season.

Traveling with kids can, and does, become tedious and tiresome, as any parent knows. Keeping the children occupied can result in a safer, calmer experience for all. Keep those long trips from spoiling the holidays by playing fun travel games.

A to Z (the Alphabet Game)
Materials: Pencil and paper (optional, use if desired) Directions: This is a game that is played by everyone in the car, together. The object of the game is to locate each letter of the alphabet somewhere outside of the car. You can find letters on billboards, license plates, road signs, and anywhere else that pops up along the way. Start with the letter A. Once you have located that letter, move on to B, then C, and so on, all the way through the alphabet.

Twenty Questions
Materials: None
Directions: One person will select a person, place, animal or object to "think of." They need to announce which of these things they are thinking of - person, place, animal or object. Once that is done, the others in the car take turns asking a yes or no question, to try to figure out what the person is thinking of. The "askers" have up to 20 questions, in which to try to guess what it is. If they fail, the same person gets to think of the next person, place animal or thing. If they succeed, the person who guessed correctly gets to be the next "thinker."

There are many websites that offer ideas and games to keep children occupied on long travels. Disney's Family Fun (http://familyfun.go.com) offers free printable games and puzzles, even state-specific games like a word scramble about Arizona's Wild West and Desert Animals Scavenger Hunt. The website even offers recipes for good travel snacks for kids. We've included two of the recipes below.

Gobbledy Gook
4 cups oat or crispy rice cereal
1 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup raisins or chopped dried prunes of apricots
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped pretzels
3 Tbsp. Margarine, melted (optional)
Place all ingredients in a 2-quart sealable plastic bag, seal, and shake until mixed. Serves 6-8.

Tex-Mex Popcorn
¼ cup margarine, melted
1 Tbsp. dry taco seasoning mix
½ cup popcorn kernels
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix the melted margarine with taco seasoning and set aside. Pop the popcorn kernels in the oil in a large covered pot, pop, then pour the popped corn into a large serving bowl. Stir in the seasoned margarine and toss lightly. Serves 4.